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Cocoa Butter

	Cocoa Beans

Cocoa Butter is not a carrier oil, but its natural, beneficial properties make it a lipid suitable for aromatherapy work.

Cocoa Butter is moisturizing, leaves a protective barrier on the skin, is gentle and can be included in massage blends, lotions, creams and other natural skin care products. Cocoa Butter is well recognized for its ability to keep the skin supple and to help prevent or reduce stretch marks or scars. It is said that cocoa butter is rich in anti-oxidants. Pure cocoa butter has a distinctive chocolate aroma that will compete with the aroma of any essential oils that you blend with it.

Botanical Name: Theobroma cacao

	Cocoa Pods Hanging From Tree

Aroma: Unrefined cocoa butter has a rich, sweet, chocolate-like aroma. The cocoa aroma is less noticeable in refined or deodorized cocoa butter.

Texture: Solid and hard to work with at room temperature. Breaks into pieces. To work with Cocoa Butter, soak the container in hot water. The edges of the cocoa butter will melt so that the butter can be removed from the container. Because cocoa butter is such a hard butter, it should be combined other vegetable oils or butters to make a balm, lotion or cream.

Color: Tan.

Shelf Life: Up to 5 Years
(Store in airtight container in cool, dry location.)

Important Note: The information provided on AromaWeb is for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Use caution when trying any new ingredient, including carrier oils on the skin or in the hair. Those with nut allergies should consult their medical practitioner before coming into contact with nut oils, butters or other nut products. Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Safety information can be found by visiting the Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand. 

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	Find detailed carrier oil information and profiles within these books...   Liquid Sunshine: Vegetable Oils for Aromatherapy by Jan Kusmirek   Carrier Oils for Aromatherapy & Massage by Len Price with Ian Smith & Shirley Price